That's so funny, I can all but promise you TH heard someone else say it. That said, kudos to him for reminding me the clocks go back tonight. The Rambling wife and son are visiting relatives this weekend, while myself and the Rambling dog slept in this morning and then napped away the trick-or-treating hours, because I'm anti-social and not ashamed to say so.

Blackfive eloquently wonders the same thing as myself...is there a plan, or is it just politics with regards to Afghanistan?

It's hard to see the delays as anything except posturing, and as silly as it seems, wishing it would just go away. As mentioned it the fine link, this is when leadership is needed...even (gasp) if it means making some of the electorate unhappy.

ATL is said to be looking for a RH bat, and have surplus SP's. Some sort of Corey Hart for a SP swap...and getting the Braves to "throw in" the soon to be non-tendered Johnson would be a coup of massive proportions.

I'm watching the Indiana/Iowa game on ESPN, and on the same drive, the refs blew two calls, they reviewed them both via instant replay, and they refused to overturn either one of them.

This "conclusive evidence" is a load of bunk. There seems to be a hesitation to overrule anything except a glaring, Tim McClelland looking into the OF and still calling the guy out for leaving early type botch up.

I was going to grill steak for lunch today, but my deck is full of snow and it is very cold out. By the way, what's a "bread and butter steak"...that's what the label says. Proof I buy whatever cut is on sale.

This is not a normal electorate, despite the old media's inability to report on the anger and displeasure out there. It is remarkable, though I am unsure if it will last until November of '10...forever in politics.

...I rarely put poker stories on here, never mind bad beats, which are part of the game, and silly to concern yourself with. However, last night, even I was flabbergasted. Very early in a 10 player sit-n-go:

I called with Ac6c in early position, and ended up with only the blinds. The flop came 9c8c4c...I had the best possible hand. As I contemplated maximizing my winnings, inexplicably, the small blind went all-in. The big blind folded, and I called. He had 10s9s. All I had to avoid was him hitting runner runner cards to suck out a full house, so I was a huge favorite.

The turn was a 9...a horrible card, because it gave him a full house with a 10 or if the board paired the 8 or the 4. As I began adding up his outs, the river was dealt...the other 9.

That's about as bad as it gets.

...Thursday, I was about 10 minutes away from home when I realized I had not grabbed my cell phone...I could have sworn I had put it in my pocket, but it was not anywhere in the car. I cannot tell you how awkward it was, I felt almost naked. I know I read an article in which someone mentioned how dated Seinfeld was already because no one use a cell phone. Another pointed out many of the minor inconveniences that plots were based upon could have easily been remedied with a cell.

Of course, nothing grandiose occurred that it was missed. It's astounding that it seems so necessary, when just a while back, it was unheard of.

"When someone shows up to an interview or meeting in anything other than jeans, it shows inexperience and a lack of confidence," says Andrew Dumont, vice president of marketing for text-messaging company Tatango.--WSJ.com

I am not unemployable. I have a master’s of fine arts and spent two years in the Peace Corps. All that looks fine on my résumé. But there are also gaps in my work history: long empty months punctuated with only temporary periods of employment.--NY Times

Kelly Johnson, Braves: We learned earlier this month that the Braves might look to trade Johnson before December's non-tender deadline. Johnson lost his starting job to Martin Prado in July and suffered a wrist injury shortly thereafter. He earned $2.825MM this year and is arbitration-eligible again. He could be a great pickup if he returns to his .800 OPS ways of 2007-08.---MLBTR

I'm all alone on this bandwagon, but trading for or signing Johnson if he is non-tendered to play LF and backup 2B just makes too much sense to me. Bill James projects him to return to a 799 OPS, far higher than Cameron, for example, and Kelly will be cheaper. Of course, Mike's defense is far superior to 90% of the alternatives...but he'll cost a lot more too.

Sadly, we still have no idea if the braintrust considers Hart a possibility in CF or not, and Johnson has never played CF or RF, so I'd guess his arm is weak...that said, Catalanotto was plenty passable in RF, and he did not have a cannon out there either. And, Braun could play RF, as he has the arm and ability, though it's hard to picture him as being more than "decent".

My goodness, GDP is up 3.5%, and you have to do a Google search to read about it this evening...no one is reporting it because it does not fit the narrative. Very little of the "stimulus" has been spent, and it is apparent the recession is over without 90% of the money being thrown away into various pork laden crap (algae research?). Even using the old fashioned definitions, as most economists say it ended in April or May, it is over. It was, to be blunt, just another downturn, as we have to have in any sort of, dare I say it without being arrested, free market economy.

Funny, we didn't even come close to the misery index we had under Jimmy Carter...even though many argued it was "the worst economy since the Depression".

Dave takes a few minutes off from fondling hot young babes to discuss the success of drug testing in MLB. Selig, with his willingness to bravely lead the game into the 21st century, with innovations such as the wildcard, revenue sharing, and interleague play, deserves a ton of credit for implementing such stringent testing after years of refusal by the union.

Roger Goodell has been made a complete fool of by Rush and a congressman, though the old media is doing its best to not report it.

I'm not a huge fan of Rush, though I will admit he's outstanding at what he does, which is pander to the conservative base and just irritate liberals to no end. That said, Goodell just made up some stuff, because the "quotes" that got Rush in trouble were fabricated, since despite his supposed horribleness, they can find nothing on him despite him talking 3 hours a day on the radio for 20 years. His quote about McNabb was an opinion many have agreed with, and was not in the least bit offensive...though as he points out, the old media continues to bring up race often, especially with QB's.

Matt Stairs will be the Phillies' designated hitter for Game 2 of the World Series.Raul Ibanez shifts back to left field after DHing in Game 1, with Ben Francisco going to the bench. Francisco provided a massive defensive upgrade and Stairs hit just .194 in limited playing time this season, but manager Charlie Manuel wants to get his left-handed bat in the lineup against right-hander A.J. Burnett.--Rotoworld

Heh. You'd think with all the emphasis casuals put on "small ball", these dumb teams would put some slap hitting reserve INF in the DH spot...because as we all know, nothing leads to vital runs scoring quicker than a 4-3 ground out, or even better, a sac bunt.

BCB looks at some Bill James projections, and much to the chagrin of many, Cameron's offensive projection is almost identical to Jody Gerut's...though Gerut will cost about 20% what Cam will.

That is pretty much why I have not been figuring on seeing Mike return. The budget is $X, and to me, that looks like a way of getting 80-90% of the production and save $5-8M. To me, it just seems like a relatively easy way to save money for an arm.

They do seem to be clueless as to how much anger is out there. The idea you can just keep raising taxes on "the rich" and not affect small businesses and the middle class (also known as "the rich") is astoundingly arrogant.

Rumors already are connecting Washburn to the Brewers. I've already seen folks commenting he's a product of Safeco and the M's OF defense, which is ridiculous, because he's had a better ERA on the road over the past three seasons, and SEA did not have an above average defense until last year.

I'll be the first to admit he's old enough to fade, and he's coming off an injury, but he's been solid for far too many seasons to pretend he's not a good pitcher.

The rest aside, Afghanistan was the important battle ground back when the Dems were telling us the surge had failed. As a reader mentioned, you can't vote "present", true leadership has to come out, whether that be popular or not.

If you'll notice in the article that follows, it says libs are often "fiscally conservative and socially liberal", which does describe myself to a large degree, and, in my view, is the only "proper" perspective of someone who believes that government interference should be minimal. As much as I abhor the idea of abortion being used as birth control, for example, I don't feel it's the place of government to make laws out of what seems to me, a personal decision.

I certainly understand why many are strongly pro-life, but feel their quest to change laws to be very short-sighted...think of all groups could accomplish if they would concentrate on eliminating unwanted pregnancy and promoting adoption, instead of trying to frighten girls as they enter a medical facility.

On the same note, I can't say I especially care about some loser using drugs recreationally, but don't think strict, heavy penalties for selling and distributing are at all over stepping the scope of the state.

Know what? If the Angels agree to pay him all except $1-2M a season, I'd happily take Matthews and have him play CF. His defense used to be very good, so I assume it's still above average, and even his .325/.383 line in LA isn't that bad for a plus defender in CF.

Add in a bit of an expected boost from moving from the tougher AL to the NL, and the fact he'd probably be playing with a bit of a chip on his shoulder, he might just be better because he will be giving 100% every PA, which may have been lacking since he signed for a bajillion dollars a few years ago.

EDIT: A look at Gary's career numbers shows two fine seasons while in the offensive paradise of Arlington, and rather humble numbers the rest of the time. His 697 OPS last year is probably very close to his career numbers if you remove those two great years in Texas.

MLB beats the NFL last night, though not if you take out New York City...though depending on what version of NYC you use, is somewhere between 5-12% of the country (I think the 12% is how many people live within 75 miles of one of the five boroughs of the Big Apple).

Those that wonder why the Yankees and Mets are on ESPN so often fail to understand math.:)

I can't believe the Astros have any intention of keeping Jason B on the 40 man roster all winter, so that's a puzzling claim. Maybe they hope to sign him to a minor league deal and think this is a good way to strike up a conversation.

Jason is a nice utility player, especially since he can pretty much play seven positions, but he's well past the stage where he could even be thought of as a Podsednik type of "late developing speed guy".

He is a near perfect guy to have stashed down at AAA, and if that's what HOU have planned, well played.

Also, if he can return to health, Mike Burns is a fine minor league signing, as he is a passable SP and very quietly put together excellent numbers in relief.

ESPN.com's Buster Olney reports the Cardinals have fired hitting coach Hal McRae and the leading candidate to replace him is Mark McGwire.

The report may seem strange, but it's not out of the realm of possibility. St. Louis manager Tony LaRussa has a strong relationship with McGwire and a few Cardinals players even train with the former slugger in the offseason. Of course, he'll probably need to finally address the many steroid allegations against him if the hiring process is to run smoothly.--Rotoworld

McGwire won't say a word more than he has already, as it has nothing to do with him being a hitting coach. Of course, there was no rule against steroid use in MLB in those days either, so it's all moot.

I don't think there's much more of a "good ol' boys" network in sports than a coaching staff in baseball.

According to Jon Heyman of SI.com, Manny Acta is set to become the Indians' next manager.

He was handed a three-year contract with a club option for 2013. The Indians did their due diligence, hosting interviews with Angels bench coach Ron Roenicke, Dodgers hitting coach Don Mattingly and Bobby Valentine. But clearly they were most impressed by Acta, the former Nationals skipper. He has a 158-252 career managerial record and was also courted by the Astros.--Rotoworld

Acta was able to get an extra year by negotiating with the Astros, per ESPN's ticker.

One has to wonder if Yost will end up on Acta's staff or back in ATL with Bobby Cox.

It doesn't take a genius to figure out that penalties are far too lenient. A person has to be caught almost a half-dozen times (which realistically, means you have to drink and drive 50+ times) before it's a felony, and most continue to simply drive without a license, so those penalties need to be much higher as well.

The defensive stats tend to be very inconsistent from year-to-year, which makes me wonder about their accuracy, especially when you start seeing numbers that don't seem to match (I sure see Jacob making fine plays regularly). Also, if you look at the different metrics, the same player will vary wildly, making me question their validity.

It seems to ring true, and argues vehemently against the "magic solution" many seem to think a government plan will be. Hard to believe that fella works at the same place as Tony W.

The one thing I struggle with is not only are the feds incapable of running such a grandiose plan, a simpler one is not even being proposed. As shown with state plans, many people will choose to go to the doctor for a cold, allergies, or the flu because it's free, instead of going to the drug store and buying a $10 bottle of medicine and taking a couple days off; resting, sleeping, and letting your body fight it off. Making all but the extreme poor pay a $20-50 co-pay would cut down on unnecessary visits immensely. Limiting legal liability and introducing various legal reforms would make doctors less likely to order a plethora of tests for simple ailments...I still recall going to the doc with a cough that wouldn't go away, and after a plethora of X-rays, lab tests, and breathing tests, they decided I had walking pneumonia, which is what I guessed, despite my medical knowledge being limited to watching ER for several seasons and being perturbed when Kellie Martin was killed off in the height of her mid 20's (better known as "the glory days" to the species of the human female).

I told everyone that would listen (which, to be fair, is usually the Rambling dog) that all added up, that was probably a $600-1000 visit, and I only paid a tiny co-pay. If a nurse practitioner would have listened to my symptoms and gave me a prescription to break up the gunk, and told me to return in a week if I was still bothered, the system would have saved oodles of cash, and all would have been well. Those "quick care" clinics, found most often in Wal Mart, grocery stores, and such, provide a great service; quick strep tests, ear infection looks, but they haven't seemed to catch on...I have to imagine legal issues and huge insurance premiums are why, as the business model seems perfect. It only takes one idiot to take them to court and ask why an MRI wasn't done for a hangnail to take away a month's worth of profit, and make the insurer raise the liability rates to make it an unprofitable enterprise.

Limiting the reward from an easy settlement, and making these cheap clinics more viable would be a good first step, in addition to disallowing states from making ridiculous stuff, like marriage counseling and drug rehab, have to be covered on every plan (another example of how the nanny state adds to the problem while trying to help). Instead, aiming for every American to have all-inclusive care at no direct cost (but at a huge overall cost), is probably a near impossible order.

He sure would be a nice fit as the Brewers' LF or RF, and reserve 2B. He's coming off a down year, but he was injured and that likely affected his production. Johnson is similar to a young Catalanotto, or as Doug would say, a "professional hitter".

1. In all seriousness, this looks to be as deep as any team in recent memory...they won't play 15 guys most nights...but they could. Contrasts that with last year...when they only had 14 on the roster, and one was a NBDL vet, and another was Damon Jones, who could do nothing except shoot 3's.

2. That said, while the 13th-15th men are no doubt improved, it's tough to lose solid players like Charlie V and Ramon Sessions and get nothing in return. They also dumped Richard Jefferson's salary and got only a couple role players in return...Jefferson's 15-20 points a night kept the Bucks in a lot of games last year after Redd went down.

So, in theory, Ridnour and Jennings should be adequate at the point, as will Redd and Bell at the 2. Bogut, veteran Kurt Thomas, and Elson/Gadzuric should be fine in the middle. Hakim Warrick came to MIL to get playing time and he has shown flashes of brilliance. Ersan I returns after a couple years in Europe, Delfino will be fine, and LMM is a year older and more mature.

That does not look like a horrible team at all, but if a couple guys go down, they could be very weak pretty quick. While it's nice having 13-15 be solid, I sure wish 1-8 was.

Alyssa Milano twitters out this Maxim article about a perfect seating chart at the wedding reception.

For me, I always sit at home, as I haven't attended a wedding since the last of the Rambling in-laws got hitched. I find them all cliched and stupid, but then again, being sober is probably not the best way to attend such a function.

Adam looks at Sheets' rehab, and he's looking to be ready by spring training. Many teams will have interest, as he seems very likely to sign a one year, "prove he's healthy" type of contract, much like Mark Mulder and many others.

As we found out last year, even if Sheets only throws 100-120 innings, he is very valuable, as that's 120 fewer frames your other SP's have to cover. The problem with Ben is, he's as likely to miss 5.5 months as he is a month or two.

The delay in making a decision on Afghanistan is exactly what people meant when we discussed Obama "voting present" so often as a legislator. You've pointed out how he voted against funding the war as a senator to play politics, and voting against increasing the debt ceiling, and now has the exact opposite view, asking senators NOT to do this.

He's a candle in the wind. He has no idea what to do next, because he makes his decisions based on everything except his well thought out views, he has none. He is puzzled because spending money like mad has not worked. It's Jimmy Carter all over again, but I do not see Ronald Reagan saving us again.

James

I will add nothing to your opinion except to say, if your commander says you need to add a minimum of 40K troops, you either need to do so, get a new commander, or "cut and run". None are wonderful options, but it does make you appreciate the way Iraq, deemed lost dozens of times by Hank Reid and others still fumbling in power, was won.

Amazon appears to have chosen not to participate in the down economy. Wal Mart has been doing fine as well. Good businesses make it through difficult times.

I used to make some decent money playing poker online, almost all of it through bonuses for playing so many raked hands. When the UIGEA went through, making some wimpy sites leave the US, and making bonuses hard to come by, I've learned the only way to do well is to play near perfectly, which meant improving the holes in my game. It's no fun admitting that, but it's true. Business works the exact same way.

The Rambling brother wonders about Mike Scoscia walking ARod...up one, bases empty, two outs in the 9th last night.

I never tuned in until the 9th, and suffice it to say, I was embarrassed by it, as simply put, the math simply doesn't work. Even if you go right after ARod, he's not going to hit a HR very often...this year, 30 homers in 447 AB's + SF's. That's 417 times he "did not" hit a HR. When you put him on 1B, with two outs, a double scores him...Matsui had 50 extra base hits, and even a walk puts the runner in scoring position, where a base hit or even an error will often score the run.

I'm not suggesting to challenge ARod on Fuentes 88 mph "heat". See if he chases fastballs up and out of the zone, see if chases junk in the dirt. But don't be afraid of ARod tying things up that you put yourself at a greater risk of losing the game.

According to Ken Rosenthal of FOXSports.com, multiple teams have contacted the Cubs about Milton Bradley.

"You would be shocked at the level of interest," said one source. According to Rosenthal, the Cubs are confident that they can move Bradley without having to eat the "vast majority" of the $21 million owed to him over the past two seasons. Just how much another team would have to absorb remains to be seen, but someone will surely take a chance on his talent. The Rays have emerged as an early potential suitor.--Rotoworld

Bradley has been a hothead in the past, but suffered from being honest and playing through injuries last year...and still managed a .380+ OBP. Needless to say, that's an attractive combo, as who knows how he'll do if he can get healthy (and/or DH).

I find the irony here...the government that is running a 1T deficit...this year, is now explaining to huge corporations how they have to cut costs, that those who say the administration is putting forth a socialist agenda is now seeing them limiting compensation...almost the epitome of a "step one".

But, since the umpiring has been at the level of a drunken stupor, sadly, I have to say it has merits. Of course, we can also quit pretending we need to baby the umpires if we have someone in the press box correcting all their mistakes.

Gord Ash did a nice chat with fans today. He mentions they may do a "futures" game in the future in September at Miller Park. I wish they'd bring in a couple affiliates ech year...maybe Appleton and one other that would rotate...though I suppose the Crew would have to pay for the charter themselves.

I'm not sure I believe the replay on the first one--Tim McClellan, on the first of his once in a lifetime, two completely blown calls within minutes of each other.

I'm not sure I believe this clod still has a job. On the other, he says "I was expecting them to both be on the base". Again, both were apparent to everyone in the ballpark, so the other umpires should have pointed this out, but we might be forced to witness a complete revamping of how the grand old game is called because of how inept these fellas are.

More than a few times this year, I thought you were stretching the truth a bit on how bad the umpiring was. I worked second shift much of the summer, so my Brewers' viewing was limited. Now, I'm on third shift until spring, and I am able to watch an inning or two of the playoffs before going to work.

Thus far, the umps have been brutal. Night is day. Black is white. Hillary Clinton is a fine looking woman.

It's as bad as it gets. I'm not sure what the answer is, but the question has to be asked: How much worse could it be?

Patrick

I was so busy laughing at the Clinton joke, I missed his giggle inducing "able to watch an inning or two" before 10 or 11PM until I was fixing the punctuation.

I hear there was another gaffe (or two) tonight, but I was watching poker.

UPDATE: Just watched ESPN's recap...two calls that were as bad as that foul ball...and pardon me, but both seemingly should have been overruled.

What we have here is massive incompetence, and the crew does not seem to remotely care about getting it right. In both cases, the 3B ump totally blows the call (Tim McClellan, who should have been fired 20 years ago for his delayed ball/strike call, never mind anything else), but the home plate umpire should have seen both and changed them both, they were obvious to everyone in the ballpark.

I watched most of the ESPN short film on the USFL, which sure makes Donald Trump look bad and shortsighted, while making the league itself look like a huge success, considering they played football at an odd time of year and struggled in some markets.

They averaged about 25K a game, and the ratings they showed during the doc, 5.7 and 6.1, would be huge today, but I'm not sure back then (MLB averaged a 2 this past year on ESPN, I think). The MLS is considered pretty successful, and has never approached numbers like that.

I vaguely recall watching some games on Sundays, and was always struck by the bright, colorful uniforms and how much fun the players and coaches seemed to have...and both those were apparent tonight, 25 years later. The NFL, both then and now, seems very uptight and basking in rules (this year, late hits on both the QB and "defenseless" players, mostly WR's going over the middle, have many of us wondering "um, that's football isn't it?"

One has to wonder what would have happened if they would have remained in the spring

No offense to the author, but I like to think a top five hitter in the game is worth more than a speedy CF and a very good pitching prospect. Prince is worth a #2 SP and Ellsbury, never mind a guy who might be a #2 SP someday.

Granted, to some organizations, a cheap youngster is worth more, especially if they can't afford the $10M a quality SP costs.

The USS Mariner says a Brandon Morrow/JJ Hardy swap makes sense, and I've been saying the same thing, so I have agree. Morrow is not a #3 SP like they would hope to get, but he is just 24, and throws hard, meaning he has #2/3 SP potential.

I would want a middling prospect in addition, but the Mariners' fans would probably say the same thing.

Perry Hill stepped down from his post as Pirates infield coach Saturday and shared some criticisms of the club on his way out.

Hill, who also served as the Bucs' in-game first base coach, believes the team was too aggressive on the trade market this season. After all, the Pirates shipped off three-fourths of their infield (Jack Wilson, Adam LaRoche and Freddy Sanchez). "The Pirates made their statement," Hill said. It was time for me to go. I won't be back with the Pirates next year."--Rotoworld

You can almost hear him talking about losing "grit" and "hustle", and how these kids just aren't as smart as they were "back in my day". Good riddance. The Pirates are finally building it up the way they should have a decade ago.

Yo Gallardo--High walk rate, and possibly concentration issues aside, he's one of the best young arms in the game today. Needless to say, he'll be the top man on the staff.

Manny Parra--Whoever the new pitching coach is, Parra will be his prize pupil. Manny is a lefty who throws 93-94, and should be able to go 5 innings and not embarrass himself on that fact alone. Some will say he threw better in the second half, which is results oriented and untrue...his OPSA was actually higher after the break.

He is a walking example of ADD, whose mental lapses will drive you bonkers (he walked the pitcher six times, all the other pitchers combined, eleven), but there's little doubt he possesses the second best stuff in the rotation. Despite his awful results, I'm sure 25-28 teams would be happy to put him in their rotation next year. His value is low, so I have to imagine he'll return. I wish I knew if he had an option remaining, just in case (I just checked, and I would guess he had a pair, but he has to have at least one).

Dave Bush--I don't think he will return, as he has one year left of arby before free agency, and I will estimate he'll get rewarded for his solid healthy, pre-injury performance with a raise to about $5-6M...and considering he never came back effectively, I doubt the Brewers will risk it. Very solid when healthy, 33-31, 4.57 ERA from '06-'08, and a 4.58 ERA before his injury in '09...and a 9.27 ERA after. If Dave was healthy, Looper's option would be unlikely to be picked up.

Braden Looper--He has a mutual option for $6.5M, and the Crew can buy it out for $1M...that's a $5.5M net on a guy who'll likely be projected for a 4.60 ERA in '10. Had minor surgery to "clean out" a knee, which he hinted may have bothered him at times. Given his ability to eat innings, I think the Crew will exercise their half, though I'm not sure Looper will, if he's healthy, he may well find a two year guarantee, or a richer one-year contract, in this pitching poor free agent class. He will be tradeable, unlike Soup.

Jeff Suppan--Still dependable, still takes the ball, and still overpaid. Probably projects to an ERA just above Looper, pitched somewhat effectively (4.43 ERA before injury, 4.76 ERA before his last three starts at partial strength) until an oblique strain put him on the DL and he pitched at 75% much of the rest of way. Unless dealt for another big contract, he will probably be at the back of the rotation next April, as Braden is similar but will have suitors due to his salary, half what Jeff's will be.

Chris Narveson--Very impressive late, and while he does not project any better than most others, he'll make the minimum for several more seasons, and also has no options, and is unlikely to pass through again after his fine September, like he did earlier in '09. Will probably begin '10 in the bullpen, and provide rotation depth that was missing last year.

UPDATE: While I admit to taking a grand total of about 90 seconds to make my picks, I pondered two upsets for about 60 of those 90 seconds...the Bills over the Jets (which is tied in the 4th) and the Titans over the Pats (which is why I usually go the safe route).

Trevor Hoffman--Heh, how's that for starting with the easy one. If healthy, Trevor will be the closer. I wish he'd be willing to work a bit more, and possibly go 4-5 outs once in a while (before off days especially), but as long as he's as good as he was last year, you can look the other way at those minor things.

Todd Coffey--Take away a bad game or two, he was every bit as good as Hoffman, with oodles more velocity and the ability to induce a double play early and often. If the Brewers were coming off a 70 win season rather than 80, I'd have been on board for letting Trevor move on and using Coffey in that role.

Mitch Stetter--Casuals will say Mitch got tired as the campaign wore on, but while not untrue, simplifies things a bit much. If you look at his monthly splits, a better recap might be Stetter was unhittable in June, and just passable the rest of the year.

I expect him to be back in the same role in '10, but I would not be shocked to see a quality southpaw added, as I am positive Doug is aware of his overall mediocreness. A 14-8 BB/K ratio after the break is cause to worry. It seems like he barely pitched late, but his appearances were not much lower...he was used more as a loogy, and likely got up far less.

Mark DiFelice--Another guy who seemed like a second half fade, and his monthly splits show him to be far less effective in August and September. His splits to righties are off the charts, he and Stetter can be depended on versus same sided hitters. He'll have a spot to lose, but his health may determine his future.

Claudio Vargas--Picked up for semi-useful utility player Vinny Rottino at the July deadline, Vargas was as good as it gets the final two months, and seemed to get stronger as the season concluded (which may be directly related to the fact he did not pitch until July). He'll get paid nicely in arby, and will go into the mix in the bullpen.

Carlos Villanueva--CV was an enigma, shuttling between very good and blech. He was equally effective versus both LH's and RH's, and much of his ineffectiveness was as a SP. He seems to have plateaued a bit, as he will be 27 next year. I would not be surprised at all to see CV packaged with Hardy or Hart. He may well find a groove and be a quality set-up man, or maybe even a 4th/5th starter. However, he will soon cease being inexpensive, and at this point, probably isn't much better than many other guys who will only make the minimum.

Dave Weathers--I like Stormy, but a $3.75M option, a so-so stretch for the Crew, and he's almost as old as me...add all that up, he's likely to be elsewhere in '10, or at home counting white bags with a $ sign on the side, as he is rumored to be considering retirement.

John Axford--Will probably start '10 in Nashville as the closer, but he sure has the raw stuff to have success in the majors. Hopefully, he'll dominate AAA and be the first guy to return when someone is injured or ineffective. Needs to work on hitting the corner at 92 instead of missing by a foot at 95+.

Chris Smith--Veteran did a wonderful job of eating up innings, mostly in lopsided affairs. Minimal ceiling due to lack of size and velocity, but while I doubt he'll be given a spot on the 40 man, I hope they go after him hard, hoping he'll sign a minor league spot, maybe with an "out" clause if not on the 40 by June 1st, or something like that.

Seth McClung--I'm a fan of Seth, but he's a year away from free agency and while very good in the first half, struggled with injury and effectiveness in the second half. A big guy who throws hard and often picked up an inning he likely shouldn't have, overuse may have led to his fatigue and disabled list time. I like him as a long man with #6/7 SP ability, but considering he'll likely get $2M+ in arby, he may well end up elsewhere.

Seth would be as tough a call as I had to make. Giving up a guy who can throw 95-96 with consistency is a call that can easily come back to haunt you, especially a guy who had a 3.95 ERA as a reliever last year, after a 3.67 ERA in '08. Personally, I'd probably pencil McClung and Narveson into the final two spots in the bullpen, and use them, along with Josh Butler, who'll begin the year in AAA, as my rotation depth, along with hopefully a young SP who'll be picked up in a trade.

I turned back to the football, and our doubleheader game is 38-0, still in the 2nd quarter.

Hopefully, they'll have a quick hook, as I'd rather watch some guy mow his lawn.

The announcers said the Pats will probably play their starters until the 4th quarter. On a snpowy field, Tom Brady with a bad knee, I doubt they will, and I doubt they'll even throw the ball in the second half.

Astoundingly, a tie between Colorado and Pittsburgh, after being up for a week. The Rambling family is leaning strongly toward Denver, though Houston and Pittsburgh is still up for consideration. Atlanta has been eliminated because I'm afraid I might melt.

Every time I think about it, I think how great it would be if Las Vegas had a team, as that would be a huge boon for road teams to travel, especially the first few seasons. They could draw 3M fans and have over 50% unfriendlies in the seats.

The "winner" was a high ceiling/high injury risk like Harden or Bedard (you could easily include Sheets in that as well), but that's misleading, as 50% more people voted for one of the more consistent, if unspectacular pitchers, Doug Davis leading the way, with Joel Piniero right behind. I do find it strange Piniero did so well and Marquis so badly, as they are almost the same pitcher.

I said it before, and I'll say it again, I'd love to see Davis return. Adding him and a younger SP in a Hardy trade would do wonders to make the rotation good enough to compete, if Gallardo stays healthy and Parra returns to previous form.

The Badgers look to be going down to Iowa, while Purdue may pull a huge upset over The Ohio State University. The Big Ten could, in theory, send almost every team to a bowl game, especially considering lesser bowls love to select Big Ten teams because they tend to travel well. As of today, all but Purdue and Illinois would probably be invited.

Rush responds to critics. I had forgotten about Sharpton's brushes with the law and Jackson's religious slurs. He does not mention the other NFL minority owners use of the lovely "n word", as others did last night.

However, it's difficult to imagine this not coming back in upcoming elections. Flyover country isn't fond of apparent double standards, even if they are not fans of Rush. The old media has no idea how disliked Ted Kennedy was in most of America, and they have had to use fiction to try and destroy W and now Limbaugh. I doubt that will be forgotten.

The NFL's "line in the sand" about who can own a team seems to have been...wait for it...unfairly used against fictional things Rush Limbaugh said, but unenforced when attractive young women were involved.

I barely know any Spanish (incredibly sad considering I took it for 3 semesters in high school and one in college), but you don't need to to enjoy these Honduran announcers celebrating the US soccer team tying their match versus Costa Rica, who Honduras was chasing. The joy begins at about the 25 second mark.

I linked your Meghan McCain thoughts and e-mailed it out to several friends I thought might enjoy your stuff. That's one for the resume, as it includes your trademark off the beaten path humor, irreverent links to pop culture, and common sense musings about what the hell has become of the media today. Miss McCain is dumb as a fox, and the thousands (millions?) of hits seem proof to me that while not a size two, she has the goods.

Harold

Thank you for the kind words, Harold, and yes, she can put butts in the seats even though she weighs in at > 110 pounds.

I didn't realize I had any trademarks, so thanks for the info.:) All I do is put up stuff I like to read, and hope some others do too.

I think the parents are publicity seeking bozos, but I doubt this was a hoax. The story is a bit odd (my 7 year-old "falls asleep" during the day once every six months or so), but surely they knew this sort of false statements to a police officer would land them in trouble...even idiots like this know that.

The problem is, small businesses like that need to build loyalty of customers by knowing their products better, being competitive in price (though predictably a bit more), and, most of all, be open when the customer wishes to shop. Cutting back hours to save a couple bucks on overhead (since most business owners don't pay themselves, I doubt they are saving labor) tells me they don't want my business.

Diamondbacks GM Josh Byrnes and manager A.J. Hinch had breakfast with Eric Byrnes on Wednesday to discuss the outfielder's future.

"We just wanted to sit down and lay out what's in front of him," said the D'Backs' general manager. Byrnes is entering the final year of a three-year, $30 million deal he signed in August of 2007. He's had two consecutive disappointing seasons, mostly due to injuries, and won't have a starting job in the Arizona outfield next season. He's a candidate to be traded this winter, but the D'Backs might have to eat most of his remaining salary.--Rotoworld

I continue to ponder if a Suppan/Byrnes swap wouldn't be best for both teams. I like Jeff more than most, and have no problem saying he has more value, as a guy you can pencil in for 30 starts, 180-200 innings, and a 4.50-5 ERA (his game log indicates a 4.43 before his injury, and a 4.76 before his final two starts). He is probably a bit of a victim of his own circumstance, he takes the ball regardless of if he "should" take the ball, and could have easily told the team he should "shut it down" late in the season when his ERA was around 4.50 and he couldn't even swing the bat. But, he gave the team several good starts before struggling late, and saw his ERA rise right at the end of the year. Suppan certainly is not worth $12M, but he'd probably get a $3-4M one-year offer if he were a free agent.

Byrnes has been terrible the last two seasons, but still hits LHP, so is reduced to a $10M bench/platoon guy. To a team like the D'Backs, he's a failed former star, to anyone else, he's a good (but overpriced) platoon mate for a lefty OF (such as Gerut, Catalanotto, or even FA Rick Ankiel).

The Crew might prefer to keep Looper for $5.5M net, but a swap would give ARI an SP spot filled and MIL a platoon mate for a LH OF bat. That said, it makes far too much sense to ever happen.

And, Byrnes is one of those irritating guys who makes himself the center of attention (sprinting to 1B on a walk, falling down and tumbling after a throw to the plate), while Soup is as classy a guy as exists in the majors, doing work for several charities and veteran's organizations. That alone could make a difference, as Doug has shown little patience for anything but good fellas.

In short, Krispy Kreme managed to lose money despite selling something that was cheap and delicious.

The only thing more mind-boggling than that is how many movie chains have had to restructure (gone bankrupt) despite selling a popcorn and carbonated beverage combo for $9, which has a margin of about 95%.

Adam says the Crew is close to hiring Rick Peterson, who is apparently known for lengthy negotiations. Sounds like it's close to done deal, unless Rick just decides to go elsewhere...plenty of offers, it would seem. I can't see $50-100K per season holding things up. That said, the sticking point may well be the length of the contract, as Macha is only signed through '10.

Of course, to be fair, McCain, as well as some other ladies mentioned, Jessica Simpson and Kelly Clarkson especially, are far from "fat"...they might be carrying around a few extra pounds, but many guys, myself included, much prefer that to the "skinny look" which permeates the runways and TV/movie screens (which is, of course, why I didn't marry a model, but hence, I digress). Even worse, if I was dating a skinny girl, I looked even fatter by comparison.

Last night, McCain put a picture up on Twitter that showed her plans for the night...holding a book, dressed in casual attire. However, it set the site for minimal attention spans ablaze, because Ms. McCain was wearing a tank top...which if you are aware of her build, pretty much proves my oft-said statement:

It's not the shirt on the girl, it's the girl under the shirt.

It wasn't risque in the least, unless you have a body like Meghan. Or Jessica Simpson. Sadly, as I went to link it, it has been deleted, which saddens me, because I did not make it my screensaver when I had the opportunity last night. Of course, I'm joking...I don't know how to change my screensaver.

Luckily, the New York Daily News (the New York Daily News!!) found the space to run this "news item", with the "racy" picture of the mid 20's blonde.

To be honest, unless you are Amish or think a normal woman is 5-10, 105 pounds, I doubt you'll be offended in the least. However, at the end of the day, the mere idea this passes as news 24 hours later is pure hilarity.

EDIT: Tonight, Meghan on Twitter:

OK, at least I didn't dupe the media into thinking I flew away in a homemade balloon :-)

No offense, but the idea of another dime being spent on Nawlins is disgraceful. Rebuild it yourselves, or shut up. No one is going to build in the below sea level areas, as they know what will eventually happen.

You know, this happened many years ago. It might be time to take some responsibility instead of passing it onto the taxpayers who live in Maine, Alaska, and so on.

I think a lot of folks forget that Ned did a very good job for years letting the young guys play, make their mistakes, and get to the next level. If you'll notice, many complained this September when Gamel did not get many AB's in September, even though McGehee had a 900 OPS, and Counsell also had an outstanding season.

If you'll note, most that complained about Yost complained about Macha...basically, dictionary definition of casuals.

Tim Hudson wants to stay in ATL. His name keeps popping up because he used to work with Rick Peterson in OAK. I have a hard time believing many teams would be bidding on Hudson, as his health is a huge question mark for a market sized contract offer (3y/$36M?).

The "slavery" quote, repeated by Jim Carville, is especially ignorant, as if that choice of words would not have been made public before now.

I rarely listen to Rush, as I think, for the most part, he is more of an entertainer than a political commentator. However, he is enormously successful, and many dislike him for no other reason than his audience. The irony to me is, if Rush was half as bad as his critics claim, you wouldn't think they'd have to make up quotes to use against him.

I got this in a mass e-mail today, and while predictable, sums up the frustration many middle class folks have right now. Remember, 47% of Americans pay no taxes at all. Who do you think is going to get burned when it's time to "spread the wealth"?

OLD VERSION:

The ant works hard in the withering heat all summer long, building his house and laying up supplies for the winter.

The grasshopper thinks the ant is a fool and laughs and dances and plays the summer away.

Come winter, the ant is warm and well fed. The grasshopper has no food orshelter, so he dies out in the cold.

MORAL OF THE STORY: Be responsible for yourself !

MODERN VERSION:

The ant works hard in the withering heat all summer long, building his house and laying up supplies for the winter.

The grasshopper thinks the ant is a fool and laughs and dances and plays the summer away.

Come winter, the shivering grasshopper calls a press conference and demandsto know why the ant should be allowed to be warm and well fed, while othersare cold and starving.

CBS, NBC, PBS, CNN AND ABC show up to provide pictures of the shiveringgrasshopper next to a video of the ant in his comfortable home with a tablefilled with food.

AMERICA IS STUNNED BY THE SHARP CONTRAST. HOW CAN THIS BE, THAT IN A COUNTRY OF SUCH WEALTH, THIS POOR GRASSHOPPER IS ALLOWED TO SUFFER SO ?

Kermit the Frog appears on Oprah with the grasshopper and everybody crieswhen they sing "IT'S NOT EASY BEING GREEN."

Jesse Jackson stages a demonstration in front of the ant's house where thenews stations film the group singing, "WE SHALL OVERCOME." Jesse then has the group kneel down to pray to God for the grasshopper's sake.

Nancy Pelosi and John Kerry exclaim in an interview with Larry King that theant has gotten rich off the back of the grasshopper and both call for animmediate tax hike on the ant to make him pay his fair share.

Finally, the EEOC drafts the Economic Equity & Anti-Grasshopper Act retroactive to the beginning of the summer.

The ant is fined for failing to hire a proportionate number of green bugs and having nothing left to pay his retroactive taxes, his home is confiscated by the government.

The story ends as we see the grasshopper finishing up the last bits of the ant's food while the government house he is in, which just happens to be the ant's old house, crumbles around him because he doesn't maintain it.

The ant has disappeared in the snow.

The grasshopper is found dead in a drug related incident and the house, now abandoned, is taken over by a gang of spiders who terrorize the once peaceful neighborhood.

Honeywell Chief Executive David Cote, a Republican who supported Mr. Obama in the election, says he was taken aback by the president’s rhetoric on the tax issue. "You can’t love jobs and hate those who create them," he says.--WSJ.com

Interestingly enough, even given the free-agency departures of Sabathia and Sheets, the team projected to be stronger on the run prevention side (sixth in the league) than on the scoring side (ninth), a counterintuitive forecast given the fact that six of the lineup's eight projected regulars are between the ages of 25 and 29 -- or in their statistical prime.--BP.com, on ESPN

Just found this little tidbit.

I said pretty much the same thing when I said the Crew's rotation was better than most people felt, and I was correct for half the season. Parra's off year and the injuries to Bush and Suppan hurt...a lot.

Quite possibly, one of the best articles I've ever read, as the WSJ looks at the Nobel Peace Prize (snicker), global warming (guffaw) and headlines of the world, including those that say Roman Polanski is "depressed" about being in jail (hearty chuckle).

Epstein said he will hold discussions with Jason Varitek on returning as a backup, but the veteran probably craves more playing time.--Rotoworld

I could see Varitek seeing the Brewers as an alternative if he is willing to leave BOS. Considering the success of other guys who have moved from the AL to the NL, that might be worth chasing lightning in a bottle.

Color me dull, but I'd love to see Joe Dillon back in AAA or as the other utility infielder with Craig.

Several pitchers with AAA success and decent K/BB and K/9 ratios, including several relievers (Geary, Nelson, and Swindle) who will probably spend plenty of time in the majors next year. Doug may well sign a couple of those guys for AAA rotation depth, as they will have few "prospects" in Nashville next season.

Mike Singletary called all of his timeouts late in a blowout loss yesterday to "get some more hits in", and by the looks of it, yell at his team.

The odd thing is, the NBA does this all the time, and it's done less in college, but they still do it to run a specific play, or try something along those lines.

They just mentioned on PTI they think it may well "lose the team", as the players are not fans of having to play meaningless plays at the end of the game. I'd say SF probably isn't good enough to have guys questioning what's the scoop, but I'm sure they do know how to play half-speed, which is exactly what you'd expect a group of adults to do when in this situation.

Nonstop nanny state fever in the US, while China is overloaded with real problems, and not just made up ones. A dangerous landfill like that will keep causing problems for the next 50 years, and they will probably start to multiply.

I thinks it's hilarious/ironic that the twins, known as a team that plays "the right way" (TM) and does "all the little things" right, has cost themselves 2 runs in 3 games solely on baserunning blunders.

Thanks again,

Marty

Gleeman has been ripping on the media for the last couple years...at least, about this. It's become a cliche, and like most cliches, it's not true, or just barely partially true. It is painful how the old media ignores the small market teams all year, then when they make the playoffs, spouts untruths about them.

That said, I'm surprised the phrase "gets his uniform dirty" was not said about Punto as he made his gaffe. Ramblings' contributor Robert has often noted that, without exception, players described as "scrappy" could be more accurately described by removing the first letter.

I understand what Doug is saying about improving the pitching, even at the expense of the #3 offense in the league. However, being a big Mike Cameron fan, I don't think most folks realize his true value, not only is he a fine defensive CF, he hits like a corner OF. It's like having three LF's in the lineup, but still with a fine defender in CF.

Thoughts?

Dave

Dave, no doubt Cameron is a plus player. In my mind, he carries two big negatives...his salary and his age. He's not going to be playing in a few years, so wondering where the dropoff is going to come makes perfect sense. And, despite the fact he keeps himself in great shape, he is bound to be more prone to injuries annually.

Another thing to keep in mind is this...if neither Cameron or Kendall return, Mike's replacement is unlikely to match his OXS, but Jason's is likely to be higher...which, hopefully, will all break even. Gerut's career numbers are not far from Cameron's, though Mike played in tough hitter's parks until he signed in MIL.

In response to your post about no roof in Colorado, did you happen to note the starting time for Sunday's game? 8:07 Mountain? In the words of Bill Shroeder: My goodness! You just called a game for cold weather, then start the makeup game at 8pm? The emphasis on TV ratings is getting ridiculous.

As you've pointed out many times before: Thank goodness for Bud pushing for a retractable in Milwaukee.

Shawn

I suppose that's when they didn't have a game scheduled, as they can't have overlap, I assume.

Growing up, there was a huge tree in the yard of the home farm which was always called "the buckeye tree", as the thins that fell were called "buckeyes". I was just looking up something, and one search led to another, and it seems that those things were "conkers", also known as horse chestnuts, which fall from a horse chestnut tree.

I don't think I've ever seen anything called "slightly poisonous" before either. Reminds me of my other favorite phrases, "a little bit pregnant" and a band one of my associates' boyfriends played in, "Somewhat Drowning".

Crew chief Tim Tschida said to reporters after the game. "There’s a guy sitting over there in the umpire’s dressing room right now that feels horrible."

Minnesota manager Ron Gardenhire was incredulous. "We had six umpires out there, I think. I think, right, six? Six umpires," he sputtered.

Note how with Tschida, it's all about the umpire...me, me, me. No apology to the Twins, no wondering how that blatant of an error could have been made. Meanwhile, Gardenhire feels the same way everyone watching the game feels, and simply says the truth...six guys are no better than four when they suck. It's not the least bit unexpected to see CB Bucknor called "Consistently Bad" on triple digit baseball sites...he's been horrible for years...and is still rewarded by working the postseason. Despite his all over the place zone, note how he immediately tears off his mask when someone dares question a call.

I absolutely despise all replay (though tennis' is darn near perfect), but MLB's "umpires" are beyond anything I could have fathomed just a few spins around the sun ago. Remember the outrage at Eric Gregg's strike zone? Sure it was huge, but it was consistent. Work that was previously much maligned is now yearned for. My how bad it has become in just a short while.

Everyone seems to agree that the Brewers need to improve their starting pitching, which put up a 5.37 ERA last year. However, how to do so is a question mark.

No doubt Yo will be back. Parra was awful much of the year, but due to velocity and lefthandedness alone seems all but certain to return. Suppan is probably unmovable due to his contract, so I have him back.

I have Narveson returning, but not penciled into the top five, though he may end up there due to injury or ineffectiveness. I have said often I expect one pitcher to be picked up in free agency and one in trade, with Hart or Hardy the most likely to go.

As I have said, in my view, the two most likely free agent targets are Doug Davis and Jarrod Washburn, both veteran LHP's who rely more on guile than velocity. Jarrod has pitched in a pitcher's park the past few seasons, but even so, in the past three seasons, he has put up a 3.83 road ERA. Some also point to the Mariners' OF defense in '09. While I think that may be overstated a bit (as most defensive metrics are), it also does not say anything about '07 and '08.

Meanwhile, Davis has a 4.22 ERA over the past three campaigns, though about half of his innings come in one of the friendliest parks to hitters in the NL, in the thin, dry air of Arizona, a park that usually has 7-8% more offense than a neutral stadium (like Miller Park). A 4.25 ERA projection for '10 is about what I'd expect.

Many seem to not like either option, and I'm the first to admit, both are older (Doug will be 34, Jarrod 35 next year), so a fair projection would probably include a 3% annual deterioration. Washburn actually pitched better on the road than at home, so his last three years, he has compiled 4.32, 4.69, and 3.78 ERA's overall. I would say he probably projects a bit higher than Davis, probably in the 4.50 range.

Davis has been a innings eater his entire career (192 innings or more in 5 of the last 6 years, in '08 he had cancer, and "only" threw 146) while Washburn usually hits about 150-175, though he has made 25 starts or more each of the past nine years. Given that, being a year younger, and going to a better home park for pitchers (rather than vice versa for Washburn), I prefer Davis, though both are solid, if unspectacular, and would improve the pitching staff.

How much you ask? If they hit the projections I mention above, and you had an entire rotation made up of these two guys (that would leave Yo out) and clones of them, and they pitched an equal number of innings as the '09 SP's did...they would have allowed 96 fewer runs...9-10 wins using the rule of 10. That would have left the Brewers with 89 or 90 victories, and right in the playoff hunt.

It's not about bringing in stars, it's about lowering that horrible starter's ERA. Some of that will come from within (hopefully), but there will be additions as well.

10/10/2009 05:52:00 PM

These are the good old days. Some folks are just too busy wishing the streets were paved with gold to enjoy the good times.

Whatever strikes me as
interesting, and serious Milwaukee Brewers thoughts. If you are a believer
in respecting OBP, throwing strikes, and keeping the ball in the park,
you may have found the place you've been searching for. I believe in low taxes, small government, and am not afraid to be labeled patriotic. If you are interested in sausage race results, walk up music, or professional wrestling, you may wish to click elsewhere.

I'm happy to pay taxes to help the helpless. I don't like paying taxes to help the clueless. Look at the Occupy movement...I'm forced to pay taxes to help those whose plight I delight in.--Dennis Miller

If you choose the path of terror, your life will be empty, and your life will be brief.--President Trump

Never have lives less lived been more chronicled.--Dennis Miller

I’m going to plead with you, do not cross us. Because if you do, the survivors will write about what we do here for 10,000 years.--Mad Dog Mattis

I have never understood why it is "greed" to want to keep the money you have earned but not greed to want to take somebody else's money.--Thomas Sowell